Sunday, December 25, 2011

Today I Have Seen the Sun of Love

Feast of the Nativity of the Lord - I Class with II Class Octave

Today the Newborn Nymphios appears. The Love of God appears compressed down in a Human Body, lying in a manger. He who wears the crown of thorns to atone for the sins of His Bride is born today. He who offers the sacrifice of obedience to the Father to purify His Bride and elevate Her to the dignity for which She was created by God appears today. All of Heaven exults in the victory over the life of sin Satan has built up in this world.

Troparion:
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, /
hath shone forth the light of wisdom upon the world; /
for therein those who worship the stars /
have been taught by a star /
to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, /
and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on
high. //
O Lord, glory be to Thee!

Kontakion:
Today the Virgin giveth birth to the Trancendent One, /
and the earth offereth a cave to the Unapproachable One. /
Angels with shepherds give glory, /
the magi journey with a star, //
for our sakes, a young Child is born, Who is Pre-eternal God!

EDIT: In my hurry to get to Church this morning, I forgot to add the following antiphons:

Magnificat antiphon from 1st Vespers of the Nativity:
When the sun shall have risen * from heaven, ye shall see the King of kings proceeding from the Father, as a bridegroom from his chamber.

From the Divine Liturgy, right after Communion:
We have seen the True Light. We have received the Heavenly Spirit. We have found the True Faith. We worship the Undivided Trinity for having saved us.

It is truly meet to bless thee O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure and the Mother of Our God. More honorable than the Cherubim and by far more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption thou didst bear God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify thee!